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(No Model.)

B. N. R. PHELPS. METHOD OF SUPPLYING FURNACES WITH GARBONAGEOUS FUEL. No. 436,613.

PatentedSept. 16, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD N. R. PHELPS, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO CALVIN R.

' CHEEVER, 0F SAME PLACE.

METHOD OF SUPPLYING FURNACES WITH JARBONACEOUS FUEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 436,613, dated September 16, 1890. Application filed April 24, 1889. Serial No. 308,352. (No modeli) .To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD N. R. PHnLrs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Supplying Furnaces with Carbonaceous Fuel; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 1

. My invention has relation to furnaces of all classes-such as, for example, furnaces of steamgenerators, or metallurgic furnaces, such as for regenerating, refractory, and puddling furnacesand has for its object, first, to economize the fuel; secondly, to reduce the wear and tear of the furnace; thirdly, to provide' for an even distribution of heat; and

fourthly, to conduct the heating process in a clean and expeditious manner with a minimum of labor.

With these objects in View my invention consists, broadly, in the hereinafter-described method or process of supplying the furnace or fire-box, or combustion-chamber thereof, with a continuous stream of fuel in a gaseous form produced through the action of superheated steam upon coal or carbon in a finelycomminuted state through a continuous conduit, the mouth-piece of which terminates in a fire-box or oombustion chamber of the furnace to which my invention is applied.

On the accompanying sheet of drawings I have illustrated diagrammatically one form of furnace to which my invention has been applied. I desire it to be understood, however, that I donot limit myself to anyspecific con struction of the device or apparatus for carrying my invention into effect, as the same may be modified in various ways, according to the specific purposes to which my invention is to be applied.

Reference being had to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of asteamgenerator and furnace provided with apparatus for carrying out my process. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same through the vertical plane denoted by the broken line w w in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on line y 'y in Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 4 is a detail view of the superheater or device for superheating the steam prior to in jecting it into the conduit.

Like letters of reference denote corre sponding parts in all the figures.

Reference being had to the drawings, the letter A designates the fire-box or combustionchamber of (in the present illustration of my invention) an ordinary steam-boiler or steamgenerator. As usual, this fire-box or combustion-chamber is constructed of fire-brick or other refractory material, and is provided with a hollow space or chamber B encircling it on all sides. By preference this hollow space or chamber is constructed in building up the combustion-chamber or fire-box in such a manner as to leave a thin inner wall or partition (designated by the letter C) between it and the interior of the fire-box or combustion-chamber. Inserted into this hollow space or chamber is a continuous pipe D, of metal or other suitable material, one end of which projects beyond the exterior wall of the combustion chamber, as shown at D, While its extreme outer end opens up into the interior of the fire-box or combustion-chamber, as shown at E. Thus it will be seen that the pipe D between its outer and inner terminus D" and E, respectively, forms one continuous conduit open at both ends. At or near the projecting outer end D extends ver tically a pipe G, provided at its upper end with a suitable hopper F. This connecting pipe or tube G is provided with a suitablyoonstruoted valve G, and the hopper F is so disposed or arranged as to receive carbon or coal in a finely subdivided or comminuted state from a suitably-located receiver. By

opening the valve G the coal-dust-will be discharged from the receiver through the hopper F in pipe G into the end of the continuous conduit D. At this point the descending stream of coal-dust is met by ahorizontal or approximately horizontal jet of superheated steam fed into pipe D D by means of the injector or nozzle II, which communicates with the steam-pipe I. The latter consists of a pipe or tube, which is connected at one end to the boiler, is then carried around the walls of the furnace till it reaches the superheater J, which may consist simply in a coil of pipe, from which it is again continued along the opposite side or wall of the combustion-chamber until it reaches the inlet or nozzle H, which is provided with a globe-valve or other suitable valve K. Thus it will be seen that by opening the valve K the wet steam taken from the boiler will first pass through the entire length of pipe and also through the superheater J before it reaches the injector H, which results in drying and superheating the steam before it passes into the continuous conduit D, into which the nozzle or injector H is inserted. From this it follows that the descending continuous stream of coaldust is met by the horizontal stream of superheated steam, the effect of which is threefold, viz: First, the superheated steam acts mechanically to carrythe intercepted stream of coal-dust through the conduit D; secondly, the jet of superheated steam acts chemically upon the carbon during the progress of the mixture of steam and carbon through the conduit, and, thirdly, the jet of steam operates by its propulsory force to blow the results of imperfect combustion which takes place in the conduitD into the fire-box or combustionchamber at the point E, where it is desired that the perfect combustion shall be consummated.

In order to supply the requisite amount of oxygen to insure the thorough combustion at this point, I feed heated air to the furnace or combustion-chamberin suitable quantities by means of a suitably-located air-pipe L, arranged in such a manner relative to the furnace as to heat the atmospheric air to the greatest possible point before it reaches the inlet to the combustion-chamber. At this point it mixes with the infiowing stream of heated gaseous fuel, and as this is admitted to the mouth-piece E, thus supplying oxygen in a proper proportion to insure absolute and perfect combustion of the fuel without waste through imperfect combustion from want of oxygen, it is obvious that the air-pipe should be provided with suitably-arranged valves for the purpose of regulating the supply of air continuously and in proper quantities to insure the best results. It will be seen by reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings that this air-pipe communicates with the front opening of the furnace and then extends up' ward at an incline in the hollow space or chamber formed in the front wall of the firebox, and is then bent at an angle and continued along the side of the fire-box in the chamber 13 thereof and immediatelybelow the pipe D, thence along the rear of the firebox or combustion-chamber, along the oppo site side thereof, and finally across the front,

its extreme end opening up into the interior of the fire-box immediately below the terminal opening of the pipe D, thereby mixing with the inflowing stream of heated gaseous fuel.

I am well aware that it is not new in the manufacture of gas for illuminating and other purposes to produce the gas by supplying a retort or analogous closed receptacle subjected to heat with finely-powdered coal or carbon supplied in small quantities and intermit tently (the process being intermittent and not a continuous one) to the same in proper proportions; but the essential point of difference between that process and my method of heating furnaces lies in this: that I do not employ a retort,but employacontinuous conduit which is open at both ends, the material being in a continuous state of motion as it passes through the conduit, and at no stage or period in a state of rest, as when treated in a retort in the manufacture of gas. By this method or process I am enabled to utilize the culm or waste coal-dust which accumulates in enormous quantities at the coal-mines in this and in foreign countries, and which can be obtained at a merely nominal price.

- I am also enabled to utilize the heating power of coal to the greatest possible extent by utilizing all the products of combustion instead of permitting the same to escape through the smoke-stack. Of course before starting my process I fire up the furnace in the usual way, so that the same may be hot before I start the steam and c0al-dust through the conduit. If the coal is coarse dust, it will not readily oxidize. By employing finely-ground coal, however, as is used in my process, and having the steam superheated, and also subjecting the conduit to such a degree of heat as to make the same red, and also, further, constructing the conduit of sufficient length, so as to compel the steam, and ground culm to traverse a sufficient distance, the desired chemical reaction will occur, the carbon of the coal willv unite with the oxygen of the steam, and the hydrogen will be set free. The free hydrogen, than which nothing burns with so intense a heat, and carbon monoxide, (00,) which is the next valuable fuel, are then fed to the furnace.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-= l. The described method of supplying furnaces with carbonaceous fuel wholly or partly in a gaseous form, which consists in, first, feeding powdered carbon or coal-dust toa conduit and subjecting it to a continuous heat; secondly, injecting a jet of superheated steam into and through the same at or near the point where the coal-dust enters it, and, thirdly, forcing the combined products into the firebox or combustion-chamber, substantially as set forth.

2. The described method of supplying fur= IIO i l I 1o heated air in sufficient quantities to provide for perfect combustion, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto afixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

RICHARD N. R. PHELPS.

Witnesses:

AUGUST PETERSON, BENNETT S. JoNEs. 

